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DATA, INFORMATION, KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCE

Valdemar W. SetzerDept. of Computer Science,

University of São Paulo, Brazil www.ime.usp.br/~vwsetzer

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TOPICS

1. Introduction

2. Concepts

3. Competence matrices

4. Uses of a competence system

5. Example of a system

6. Competence centers: social considerations

7. Conclusions

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1. Introduction

In 1999, PROMON Eng. (revenues of about US$ 1 bi) wanted to build up a Competence Center on Information Technology What is a company organized around

Competence Centers

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1. Introduction (cont.)

The big problem was: What does it mean to be competent on I.T.?

What does it mean to be competent? E.g., what does it mean to be competent on English?

To answer this question, it is necessary to know what

knowledge means

But knowledge has to do with information What is information?

What is the difference between information and data?

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1. Introduction (cont.) These concepts make it possible to build a system

to help assessing employees’ competencies and selecting professionals according to desired competencies Example of a system developed in 2001 for PRODESP,

the State of São Paulo DP company (1,000 professionals on I.T.)

Considerations on implementation and assessment of competencies

Competence Centers - social issues

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1. Introduction (cont.)

What is information? What is the difference between

information and data? What does it mean to be competent in

English?

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2. Concepts - Data

DATA A sequence of quantified or quantifiable

symbols E.g.: texts, pictures, recorded sound, animation

Mathematical “objects” Purely syntactic May be inserted into a computer, and processed by

it Everything represented in a computer is data

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2. Concepts - Information

INFORMATION An informal abstraction in the mind of a person,

representing something of significance to her E.g. “Paris is a fascinating city”

In the literature, also associated to messages Attention: what is transmitted is data and not

information! The recipient receives the data and eventually

transforms it into information

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2. Concepts - Information (cont.)

Example: A table of cities and local temperature In Chinese: pure data (may be formatted, sorted,

etc.) In English: information (makes sense)

Information cannot be stored into or processed by a computer! What is processed is its representation as data E.g. “fascinating” must be quantified: 0 to 4.

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2. Concepts - Information (cont.)

Information may be obtained without data E.g. feeling how cold or warm it is E.g. feeling pain

Data is always incorporated by a person as information - as long as it is understood “Understanding,” “significance”, “meaning” cannot

be defined Mental association between concepts or between

perception and concept Thinking is an organ for the perception of concepts

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2. Concepts - Information (cont.)

Information contains semantics Semantics cannot be formalized It is impossible to introduce semantics into a

computer (a syntax machine!) Problem with Searle’s “Chinese Room”: he does

not say what semantics is

Claude Shannon did not develop an Information Theory, but a Data Theory!

Does Information Technology exist?

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2. Concepts - Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE A personal, inner abstraction of something that

has been experienced by someone E.g.: a person who visited Paris has some

knowledge about it Cannot be described

Information can, through data

It’s in the purely subjective realm of humans and animals

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2. Concepts - Knowledge (cont.)

Infants may have knowledge, but no information (they don’t associate concepts); the same with animals

Knowledge cannot be stored into a computer! “Knowledge databases” are in fact databases!

Knowledge is always practical There may exist information without knowledge

(purely theoretical) E.g. reading a travel guide about Paris

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2. Concepts - Knowledge (cont.)

Data syntax

Information semantics

Knowledge pragmatics

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2. Concepts - Competence COMPETENCE

The capacity of executing some (socially) useful task in the “real world”

Data syntax

Information semantics

Knowledge pragmatics

Competence physical activity Examples:

Delivering speeches Mathematician (creating and transmitting new concepts, giving

classes, etc.)

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2. Concepts (cont.)

Data objective

Information objective/subjective

Knowledge subjective

Competency subjective/objective

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2. Concepts (cont.)

KNOWLEDGE IN INTELLECTUAL FIELDS In our characterization, a mathematician

or a historian would have no knowledge! Not a problem for technical areas

Way out (not accepted by everyone): “Experience” of the Platonic world of ideas A “universal memory” in that world

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3. Competence matrices

Ex: competence in ENGLISH

Understanding written language

Understanding spoken language

Speaking

Writing

Writing translations

Simultaneous translation

SKILLS

KNOWLEDGE AREA

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3. Competence matrices (cont.)

Therefore,

COMPETENCE

refers to a

SKILL

exercised over a

KNOWLEDGE AREA

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3. Competence matrices (cont.)

This leads to a matrix representation, the

COMPETENCE MATRIX

Lines: knowledge areas

Columns: skills

In each cell one enters a

DEGREE OF COMPETENCY

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3. Competence matrices (cont.)

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3. Competence matrices (cont.)

The concept of competency matrices lead to the construction of

COMPETENCE SYSTEMS

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4. Use of competency systems Selection of professionals with specific profiles

Knowledge dissemination

(who is competent on, knows about or has information on what)

A part of knowledge management!

Selecting professionals for Project teams Filling positions in the enterprise Giving interviews Social projects and activities Artistic activities Receiving specific visitors Testimonies in judicial processes Judicial reports

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4. Uses of compet. systems (cont.)

Counting how many professional have certain competencies Discovering weak areas in the enterprise

or departments Evaluating what is the enterprise’s

expertise

Representing required in-house core competencies

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4. Uses of compet. systems (cont.) Helping dept. of human resources with

training programs Planning courses Selecting participants for training activities

Base for promotions Curriculum systematization and maintenance

Automatic updating upon completion of training activities (if integrated with training database)

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5. Example of a system

Developed for PRODESP (1,000 IT professionals) Tested with about 50 professionals

Implemented in Delphi for Oracle Any number of matrices

Two levels of knowledge areas

Any number of skills per matrix, two levels Any number of competency degrees per

matrix

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5. Example of a system (cont.)

5 competency matrices: Technical competencies in IT Systems produced by PRODESP

(hundreds) Administrative competencies Education Foreign languages

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5. Example of a system (cont.) Degrees of competency (vary by matrix)

IT and administrative competencies Theoretical knowledge (information)

Personal learning, courses without practical exercises Practical knowledge (knowledge)

Theoretical knowledge plus practical exercises or accompanying some project without effective production

Basic competency Up to 2 years of effective production

Advanced competency More than 2 years of effective production

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5. Example of a system (cont.)

Competencies on developed systems Short participation (up to 2 years) Medium participation (2-5 years) Long participation (more than 5 years)

Foreign languages With difficulty (needs constant help) Well (needs sporadic help) Very well (fluent)

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5. Example of a system (cont.)

Education High school Professional (technician) College degree (incomplete) College degree Graduate studies Master’s degree Doctor’s degree

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5. Example (cont.) - TI matrix

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5. Example (cont.) - Systems matrix

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5. Example (cont.) - Administrative matrix

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5. Example (cont.) - Foreign languages matrix

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5. Example (cont.) - Education matrix

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5. Example (cont.) - Assigning competencies

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5. Example (cont.) - Assigning competencies (cont.)

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5. Example (cont.) - Registering a professional

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5. Example (cont.) - Competency vitae

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5. Example (cont.) - Selecting professionals

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5. Example (cont.) - Selection results

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5. Example (cont.) - Counting professionals

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5. Example (cont.) - Access security

4 levels (types of users):

Generic (any non-registered person) May select professionals May register (gives password)

Personal (already registered) May select professionals Reads and changes his/her registration and

competencies

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5. Example (cont.) - Access security

Supervisor May select professionals Reads and changes his/her registration and

competencies Reads competencies of other people

System administrator May read and change anything

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6. Competency centers - social issues

Advantages Optimizing allocation of human resources Greater flexibility Interaction with peers

Disadvantages Disruption of social integration (no more long-term

contacts within a department) Lack of personal identity with a business department

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7. Conclusions

Characterizations of information, knowledge and competency worked very well in interviews for competency assessment in 2 enterprises

Professionals were grateful for the systematized competency curriculum

Computer selects possible candidates A subjective assessment must follow, otherwise

professionals are handled as data (things)

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7. Conclusions (concl.) Problems when assessing competencies with our

method Homogenizing criteria among professionals

At PROMON: just one interviewer Not feasible with hundreds of professionals

At PRODESP: self-assessment followed by homogenization by employee’s manager

Does not take into account the quality of a project developed by a professional This would have to be assessed by managers

Social problems No behavioral matrix (leadership, communication, etc.)

Should also be done by managers

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7. Conclusions (cont.) Main application:

Knowledge Management

Dissemination of personal knowledge:who knows what